Rushy Hill

Hill, Mountain in Yorkshire

England

Rushy Hill

Boundary stone on Caple Rigg Caple Rigg is a vague ridge of desolate moorland north of the River Balder. A line of boundary stones follows the crest; they&#039;re numbered, the one immediately in view is number 6. Kelton Hill lies distantly along the same stretch of moorland. — Boundary stone on Caple Rigg Credit: Trevor Littlewood

Rushy Hill is a prominent natural feature located in Yorkshire, England. Situated within the picturesque landscape of the Yorkshire Dales National Park, this hill/mountain is a popular destination for outdoor enthusiasts and nature lovers.

Rising to an elevation of approximately 600 meters (1,970 feet), Rushy Hill offers breathtaking panoramic views of the surrounding area. Its distinctive shape and lush greenery make it a visually striking landmark in this part of Yorkshire. The hill is covered with heather, grasses, and scattered trees, providing a diverse habitat for various flora and fauna.

The area surrounding Rushy Hill is rich in history and heritage. It is believed that the hill was formed during the last Ice Age, and evidence of human activity dating back to prehistoric times has been discovered in the vicinity. Archaeological remains, such as burial mounds and stone circles, further enhance the cultural significance of the area.

The hill is a popular destination for hikers and walkers, offering a range of trails and paths that cater to different fitness levels. These routes provide opportunities to explore the natural beauty of Rushy Hill and its surroundings, including nearby rivers, valleys, and woodland areas.

Rushy Hill is also a favorite spot for birdwatchers, as it attracts a variety of bird species throughout the year. Visitors may be fortunate enough to spot kestrels, buzzards, and even the occasional peregrine falcon soaring above the hill.

Overall, Rushy Hill serves as both a natural landmark and a recreational haven, offering a combination of stunning scenery, historical significance, and outdoor activities for all to enjoy.

Show me another place!

If you have any feedback on the listing, please let us know in the comments section below.

Rushy Hill Images

Images are sourced within 2km of 54.552924/-2.1490247 or Grid Reference NY9017. Thanks to Geograph Open Source API. All images are credited.

Boundary stone on Caple Rigg

Caple Rigg is a vague ridge of desolate moorland north of the River Balder. A line of boundary stones follows the crest; they're numbered, the one immediately in view is number 6. Kelton Hill lies distantly along the same stretch of moorland.

Trevor Littlewood

Combs Round

Combs Round is a sheepfold with other dry stone walls associated, west of Balderhead Reservoir. A public bridleway passes on its south side.

Trevor Littlewood

Bruised line track and 'grip' above River Balder

The location is moorland south-west of Balderhead Reservoir. The apparent stream groove is actually a drainage ditch known as a grip; one of many on the slope rising towards Shacklesborough. Grips are furrows ploughed deeply into peat to promote drainage of moorland. For many years there was a policy of draining moorland and grants to farmers and landowners were available. That policy has now been reversed and grips on many moors are now being blocked so as to 're-water' the land. The depth to which these grips were cut is indicated in Peter McDermott's photograph from a nearby location - Link.

Trevor Littlewood

Sunlit sheepfold

The sheepfold lies on grassed moorland in Baldersdale on the slope north of the River Balder. Within the walls of the sheepfold there's the ruin of a small building.

Trevor Littlewood

Slope descending to Great Ay Gill

Great Ay Gill drains an area of boggy moorland into which it is incised; its waters soon reach the River Balder, itself a tributary of the River Tees. The wooden pole across the stream has a trap fixed upon it, there to catch a stoat or weasel.

Trevor Littlewood

Broken rock band on Shacklesborough

Shacklesborough is a curious summit on the south side of Baldersdale. It rises from flat moorland as a circular feature ringed with crags which have somehow resisted the erosion that has removed the rest of a stratum. The rocks, presumably of gritstone, form a broken, discontinuous ring about the flat summit area. Balderhead Reservoir is in the distance.

Trevor Littlewood

Rock band on Shacklesborough

Shacklesborough is a minor but striking feature in an otherwise flat moorland landscape; a discontinuous rock band encircles its summit area. The view is across moorland from an area of rushes at the high point of Hunder Hill.

Trevor Littlewood

Buildings at Water Knott

Water Knott has been an outdoor centre for Leeds Grammar School but, in August 2021, it no longer is. There are plans to reopen the buildings, again as an outdoor or field study centre, after some redevelopment.

Trevor Littlewood

Hunder Beck downstream

Hunder Beck is a tributary of the River Balder which it enters at the west end of Blackton Reservoir.

Trevor Littlewood

West Carnigill farm.

A walk in Baldersdale.

steven ruffles

Dun Moss

There is a substantial estate track along the north side of Hunder Beck, only recently shown on OS mapping. It leads from the southern end of the Balderhead reservoir dam to a shooting hut at the edge of the estate at Rise Gill Foot (Rise Gill being the main feeder which becomes Hunder Beck at about that point). Other unmapped tracks lead off from it (created with plastic matting rather than stone as here on the main track). The view from the track (which just barely cuts the corner of this square) is to the southeast into the wilderness of bog and sedge across Hunder Beck. Although the area looks wild, there is an airstrip over there, not far away - it's not clear if they are now engaging the grouse in aerial dogfights.

Andy Waddington

Off-piste on Hunder Hill

A location probably only visited by the gamekeeper (there are faint quad bike tracks), a few beaters and dedicated geographers in pursuit of hectad completions. Although this area is named Hunder Hill, it is really only a barely-perceptible rise in a large area of fairly flat (and therefore boggy) moorland, so even the keen will only venture as far from the beaten path (NY8816 : Plastic track on Great Dodd) as is necessary to enter and record the square.

Andy Waddington